


In Bed With The Devil

by Aeshna_cyanea



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen, Humor, The devil is scared of children, Trixie ships Maze/Lucifer, post-Season 1, too much cuteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-04 05:21:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10269155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeshna_cyanea/pseuds/Aeshna_cyanea
Summary: Maze makes an interesting discovery in Lucifer's bedroom.





	1. To Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Discoveries in the night.

It was a few minutes before 2:00 a.m. on a Saturday night when Maze stepped out of the elevator into Lucifer's apartment, only to find the place dark and silent. Strange. After failing to find him downstairs at LUX, she had expected him to be here, perhaps playing the piano, or watching one of those cheesy 80s sci-fi movies he loved. Oh, well. He had probably decided to go out after all, or maybe his pet detective had called with some new case. Maze didn't really care. Now, instead of reporting the results of the search he had sent her on to him directly, she would just have to leave him a note.

She dropped the jacket she had been carrying over her arm onto the bar counter and reached into the inner pocket where she kept a notepad. Flipping quickly to the right page, she read over her notes once to make certain that all the relevant details where there. Then she tore out the page, stepped over to the piano, and placed it there, where he was certain to notice it almost immediately when he returned.

She was just turning back to retrieve her jacket when a small sound coming from Lucifer's bedroom caught her attention. Apparently he was home, after all. Her curiosity aroused, Maze went over to take a look, only to stop in the doorway, frozen in astonishment at the sight before her. In all her time here, she had seen many things in this room that would have shocked ordinary mortals. But she had never, even in her wildest dreams, imagined that she would ever see something like this.

Lucifer was lying on his back in the middle of the bed, clad only in a pair of black briefs, the comforter kicked down to the foot of the bed, fast asleep. And curled up against his left side, one leg draped over him, one arm lying on his chest and her head resting on his shoulder, was detective Decker's little spawn. The child was wearing what appeared to be one of Lucifer's own black t-shirts as a nightgown. The whole tableau managed to be at the same time almost sickeningly sweet, and also somehow faintly inappropriate, even though it was entirely innocent. A broad grin spread over Maze's face. Oh, this was priceless.

She wondered briefly how the kid had ended up sharing Lucifer's bed. However it happened, she was certain that Lucifer had no idea the little one was here beside him. There was no way he would ever have agreed to these sleeping arrangements. But no matter how it happened, this was one of those moments for the ages, and it deserved to be documented for posterity. The blackmail potential alone... 

With that thought, she turned around to retrieve her phone from her jacket. As she stepped out of the bedroom doorway, she noticed a light spilling out of a half open door further down the corridor. Intrigued, she went to investigate. 

Ah, mystery solved. The light came from the lamp on the nightstand in one of the guest bedrooms. The bed was unmade and had clearly been slept in, and on the chair in the corner were a set of children's clothes. So, the little spawn had originally been sleeping in here. Maze could now envision the whole series of events. Apparently, detective Decker had left her daughter in Lucifer's care overnight for some reason. He had put the child to bed here in the guest bedroom, and then gone to sleep himself, probably exhausted from looking after the little terror. And then the child had woken up, and for some reason decided to crawl into bed with the Lord of Hell.

With a wicked little laugh, Maze returned to the living room, retrieved her phone, and went back into the bedroom. She turned on the lights just enough to make it possible to take some photos without having to use the flash, and then she snapped away, walking slowly around the bed to get good shots from different angles. When she was satisfied that she had gotten enough pictures, she slipped her phone into her pocket and moved back to the doorway. 

Just as she was switching off the lights again, Lucifer moved on the bed. She stopped and waited with bated breath as he slowly came awake. He frowned slightly as he became aware of the body snuggled up against him. Maze watched in gleeful anticipation as he opened his eyes and tilted his head to get a better look at the person. The moment realization hit him, a look of total panic and horror spread across his face. Maze couldn't suppress a laugh at the sight of the devil being terrified by one tiny, sleeping human.

Immediately, Lucifer's gaze shot to her, and the relief was evident in his voice when he called out, "Maze! Thank hell you are here. Help me!"

Damn, he was going to wake up the little terror. Maze quickly moved back to the right side of the bed, knelt on it, and put a hand on Lucifer's shoulder to keep him from getting up.

"Shhh, keep quiet, or you'll wake up the little one."

"I don't care if I wake her up! I want to get her away from me!" he hissed back.

"And you think you will manage that if you wake her up now?" she looked at him skeptically. Seeing uncertainty creep into his eyes, she continued, "She obviously wanted to sleep here with you. If you wake her up now, she will be over-tired, cranky, and completely unreasonable."

"What, more than normally?" Lucifer's tone was disbelieving.

"Oh yeah. You will be lucky if you can get her to go back to sleep at all. Forget about getting her back into the guest bedroom." 

"Can't you do something to free me from her? Pick her up and carry her back to her bed!" 

Maze gazed with narrowed eyes at the little body by Lucifer's side. "No. If I pick her up now, she will almost certainly wake up. If you want to have any quiet tonight at all, you will have to let her stay right where she is."

"No, Maze. Absolutely not! There is no way I can sleep with her here, clinging to me like that." 

Maze just grinned at him. "You managed to sleep quite well with her clinging to you like that, up until just now."

"That was because I had no idea she was here!" He glowered at her.

"Look, you have had countless other humans clinging to you just like that, and you had no problem sleeping."

"Those were adults. This is entirely different."

"Sure. If anything, you have less to fear from her than from your usual bed mates. Just lie back and think of something relaxing." 

With that, Maze turned around and started walking towards the door. She had barely made two steps when Lucifer called out to her again. 

"Maze! Maze! Mazikeen!"

With a sigh, she stopped and turned back to him. "What?"

"Where are you going?"

"To my bedroom. I am tired and I want to sleep."

"You can't leave me here alone! Please, Maze. Please stay." 

She looked at him in surprise. He was actually pleading for her to stay, and there was genuine fear and desperation in his voice. She relented.

"Alright, I'll stay. I suppose I can sleep here tonight." She changed direction, moving over to the door leading to his dressing room instead of out into the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Lucifer asked, alarmed.

"I'll be right back, I just need to get out of these clothes, and I suppose I had better put on something that could count as appropriate sleepwear." At his questioning look, she shot a pointed glance at the child.

"Oh. Yes, I suppose so. Just, come back quickly, please."

This was the third time he had used that word. It told Maze just how disturbed he was at having the child there. She gave him a reassuring smile and quickly stepped into the dressing room. 

There, she lost no time stripping down until she was wearing only her panties. She was thankful that this morning, she had chosen a pair that was similar in design to what Lucifer was currently wearing, rather than the barely there scraps of lace she usually favored. She quickly picked up another of Lucifer's t-shirts, identical to the one the little spawn was wearing, and slipped it on. On the kid, it had reached down almost to her knees. On Maze, it just barely reached the tops of her thighs. Still, all the essential bits were covered.

Before returning to the bedroom, Maze quickly opened a discreet panel in the wall, revealing a console for the penthouse's security system. She quickly typed in the code that activated the camera which was concealed in the bedroom. There. Now she would have some pictures of the three of them in bed together. 

Carefully keeping her expression neutral to avoid tipping Lucifer off to the fact that she was up to something, she returned to the bedroom and curled up against his right side, mirroring the child's position. Lucifer immediately wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. 

"Alright. I'm here, I will protect you from the big bad human child. Now relax and try to go to sleep, ok?" Maze smiled at the annoyed huff she got in reply, but she could feel some of the tension draining out of his body.

"Good night, Maze. And thank you." he whispered softly.

"Good night, Lucifer."

*****

Trixie remained still as her two friends said good night to each other. She kept her eyes closed and continued to do her best to breathe slowly, listening carefully to find out if they were actually going to sleep. Beneath her arm and her cheek, she could feel Lucifer's body relax, and his breathing slow down. She could also feel his heartbeat return to the slow, steady rhythm which had lulled her to sleep earlier that evening.

When she didn't hear anything else for several long minutes, she risked opening her eyes. She found herself looking straight into Maze's amused face. 

"Hello there, little terror." 

"Hi Maze." Trixie shot an anxious glance up at Lucifer's face.

"Don't worry, he is fast asleep. Now, want to tell me why you decided to get into Lucifer's bed when I know for a fact that he put you to bed in the guest bedroom?" Maze's tone was perfectly calm. There was no reprimand or anything else negative in it, just a mild curiosity.

"I woke up and was thirsty, so I got a glass of water." 

When the kid didn't continue, Maze prompted gently, "That doesn't explain why you didn't go back to the guest bedroom."

"I got scared. And Lucifer always makes me feel safe." Maze smiled at that. Only you, kid. 

"Better not tell him that. He would feel insulted that anybody could feel save with the devil." 

Trixie giggled at that. "He's a big silly."

"Yes, sometimes he is." Maze grinned. "Now, it's time for you to go back to sleep."

Trixie reached out and wrapped her hand around Maze's where it lay on Lucifer's stomach. "Good night, Maze."

Maze squeezed her hand gently. "Good night, little terror."

The girl gave a small sigh and closed her eyes, a happy smile on her face as she drifted off to sleep, still holding Maze's hand.

Maze's own smile was no less happy, but decidedly less innocent as she followed the kid's example. She was looking forward to the morning. It promised to be fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea of Maze finding Lucifer and Trixie asleep in his bed together came to me, and then wouldn't stop bugging me until I wrote it. It literally kept me awake at night, until I got up at 5:00 a.m. and started writing. I blame Maze for that. She was having entirely too much fun here. :-)
> 
> I will most likely add at least one more chapter to this, since I already have some vague ideas of what will happen in the morning.


	2. Waking Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning.

Lucifer woke up slowly. He opened his eyes and found himself staring up at the familiar ceiling of his bedroom. Faint traces of sunlight filtering in through the blinds told him that it was still fairly early in the morning.  
  
Feeling the warm weights of two people curled up against him, he looked down to see who his bed mates were. He was greeted with the familiar, if slightly unexpected, sight of Maze's head resting on his right shoulder. Turning his head slightly, he glanced at the person on his left side, and discovered, for the second time in a few hours, the detective's little spawn clinging to him, fast asleep.  
  
Right. It hadn't been a nightmare, then.  
  
With a sigh, he let his head fall back onto the pillow. He shifted carefully, trying to determine if there was any way he could extricate himself without waking up the two ladies. Or at least without waking up the little one. Almost immediately, he froze again, looking down at himself with a frown.  
  
His senses hat not deceived him. There on his chest lay Maze's hand, and clasping it as much as possible with her little fingers was the spawn's hand, holding on tightly even in her sleep. So, it appeared that the child's clinginess was not reserved solely for him, but extended to Maze as well. It made him wonder if she had ever been subjected to one of the little one's surprise hug attacks. Probably not, seeing how the child was still in one piece. He knew from painful experience that a surprised Mazikeen was an extremely vicious Mazikeen. Her reflexes were as fast as lightning and about a hundred times more deadly.  
  
He sighed once again. There was no way he was going to wriggle out of his current position between them without waking them up, and he was not ready for dealing with the noisy little pest yet.  
  
Lucifer closed his eyes again, trying to relax and go back to sleep. Trying somewhat unsuccessfully to force his thoughts away from his current position and the events of last night that had led to it, he wondered idly how the good detective would react if she could see him right now, all curled up in bed with her daughter and his demon. Somehow, he doubted that she would appreciate the sight. That thought brought a smile to his face, and he let his mind dwell on her possible reactions as he drifted into a light doze.  
  
He was brought back to full awareness some time later by the quiet sound of the elevator door opening, followed by familiar footsteps approaching. The detective had arrived to pick up her daughter. Lucifer opened his eyes and gazed expectantly at the doorway, waiting to see what she would do.  
  
*****  
  
As the elevator carried her up to Lucifer's penthouse, Chloe worried about what she would find there. Hopefully, the fact that she had received no calls or text messages during the night meant that Lucifer had actually managed to look after Trixie, and that her daughter had refrained from causing any major catastrophes.  
  
Leaving Trixie in Lucifer's care overnight had been an act of desperation. But the call for all hands on deck at the station had only come in yesterday afternoon, and all her usual babysitters had been unavailable. With Dan still in prison and her mother working somewhere in Europe, Chloe had been out of options. She had even tried to call Mazikeen, but had only reached her mailbox. Chloe had not been able to make herself leave a message. She was still mostly in denial over the fact that her eccentric partner's frightening bartender/ninja/bodyguard had not only formed a strong friendship with Trixie, but also somehow managed to worm her way onto Chloe's list of approved babysitters.  
  
She had to admit that the woman was surprisingly good at getting Trixie to obey her orders and do what she wanted. The problem lay in the things Mazikeen wanted to do, or considered appropriate activities for a seven year old child.  
  
Unbidden, the memory of the last time she and Trixie had been cooking together rose to her mind. Chloe had just started filleting the fish they were planning to have for dinner when Trixie yelled at her to stop because she was doing it 'all wrong'. Her child had then proceeded to not only lecture her on the correct technique for filleting a fish, but had actually taken the knife from her and demonstrated it, displaying a skill and dexterity in handling the knife that no seven year old should possess. When Chloe asked her about it, she had happily explained that Maze had taught her, and always let her help cut up things when they were cooking together. Which they apparently did frequently enough for her daughter to become an expert with a filleting knife. Chloe didn't want to know what it said about her that she still trusted that woman to look after her child.  
  
But since Mazikeen, too, had been unavailable, Chloe's options had been to either call around to various babysitting agencies in the hope that one of them would be able to provide some stranger who would look after her daughter, or to call Lucifer and ask him for help. In the end, she had given in to Trixie's incessant begging and pleading, and called the bar owner, half expecting him to refuse point blank.  
  
He hadn't. In fact, he had given in and agreed almost immediately, once she explained that the only other option would be some stranger. And so she had left her daughter here, despite her own deep apprehensions about the chaos those two could create when left alone together.  
  
The elevator stopped and the door slid open almost silently, revealing a dark and quiet penthouse. Were they both still asleep? Chloe took a look at her watch, it was almost exactly 9:00 a.m. She would have expected her daughter to be up by now, even on a Sunday. But most likely Lucifer had let her stay up way past her usual bedtime yesterday, and the kid was now still catching up on her sleep. And Chloe knew from past calls on him that Lucifer himself was not a morning person. Oh well, she would just have to wake him up, and then go see about her daughter.  
  
She crossed the living room, took the two steps up into Lucifer's bedroom, and actually managed to walk several steps to the foot of the bed before the sight that greeted her managed to register fully and she stopped, frozen in shocked surprise.  
  
Lucifer was there on the bed alright, naked except for his underpants, and he was not alone. Curled up against either side of him were two very familiar brunettes. One was Mazikeen. The other was Trixie. The two of them were almost mirror images of each other, each with her head on one of Lucifer's shoulders, one leg casually flung over him (though Trixie's leg was lying up against his waist, while Maze's was slung low across his hip and tangled with his own legs), and each with her hand resting on his chest. Actually, it looked like they were actually holding hands. Chloe looked closer, and found that she had not been mistaken. Maze's hand was resting against Lucifer's pale skin, and Trixie's small hand was wrapped around it, holding it tightly, even in sleep.  
  
The two of them were also dressed alike, both wearing a simple black t-shirt. On her daughter, it came down almost to her knees and looked like a perfectly appropriate nightgown.  
  
There was nothing appropriate about the way the same t-shirt looked on Maze. Somehow, it clung to her every curve. And while Chloe could tell that it was long enough to reach the other woman's thighs, it had ridden up slightly, revealing a tantalizing strip of skin between the bottom edge of the t-shirt and Maze's panties. The overall effect was like a costume for some sort of kinky sexual role playing.  
  
With an effort, Chloe tore her gaze away from Maze and once again looked over the whole group. It really was a striking tableau, almost like a very realistic painting. The devil, framed on one side by a picture of innocence, and on the other by an embodiment of sin.  
  
Her gaze drifted upwards until it reached Lucifer's face and she found him wide awake and looking straight at her. The corners of his mouth were turned up in a smirk, and his eyes were sparkling with devilish amusement. Oh shit. He had caught her staring.  
  
"Good morning, detective! Have you come to join our little snuggle orgy? You are very welcome. I am sure we can make room for one more in here, just get out of your clothes and come right in!" He was grinning widely at her now, lifting his hands from where they had been resting against Maze's and Trixie's backs and holding them out in invitation.  
  
The moment Lucifer had locked eyes with her, Chloe's mind had gone blank. She was burning up with embarrassment at having been caught staring. Trying desperately to keep him from mentioning it, she could only stutter out, "Lucifer, what... how..." She made a vague hand gesture at the three on the bed.  
  
"What is your daughter doing in my bed and how did she get there? Quite honestly, detective, I have no idea." He sounded inordinately cheerful about it.  
  
"I put the little spawn to bed in one of the guest bedrooms at 10:00 p.m. yesterday evening, just as you had requested. When I left her there, she was sound asleep. I got myself a little nightcap and retired to my own bed, all alone. Imagine my surprise when I woke up some hours later to find your offspring clinging to me like some sort of human limpet. Thankfully, Maze was here then, and I persuaded her to stay and play chaperone. So rest assured, nothing untoward happened between me and your daughter."  
  
The last words carried an edge that made Chloe wince. Did he really think that she would think...? Not wanting to delve deeper into that particular minefield, she latched onto the first piece of the story that puzzled her.  
  
"Why was Mazikeen here when you woke up?"  
  
Lucifer seemed surprised by the question. "I don't know." He turned to the woman beside him. "Why were you there, Maze?"  
  
Chloe didn't know how long Maze had been awake, and how much she had heard. Probably all of it, judging by her expression. She was looking straight at Chloe and smiling a smile which forcefully reminded her of various nature documentaries about large jungle cats. Even though it was Lucifer who had asked her, Maze directed her answer at Chloe.  
  
"Lucifer had asked me to take care of some business for him yesterday. I dropped in to give him my report, and found him here asleep with your kid all snuggled up against him just as she is now. I was just about to leave when he woke up. He wanted to wake the little terror up and get her back to the guest bedroom, but I persuaded him that this would be a bad idea." Chloe winced at that. Yes, waking Trixie up in the middle of the night was a colossally bad idea.  
  
Maze's smile turned definitely malicious as she continued. "Lucifer begged me to stay and protect him from the big bad sleeping child."  
  
The words were practically dripping with mocking sarcasm. Lucifer was glaring down at Maze, and she had turned her head to look up at him, that same malicious smile still firmly in place. Chloe didn't know what was going on between those two, but the intensity of it made her very uncomfortable. She said the first thing she could think of to break the tension.  
  
"So you don't know how Trixie came to be in here either."  
  
Maze broke eye contact with Lucifer and turned back to face her. "If you want to know how your daughter came to be here, why not ask her?"  
  
With that, she pulled her hand out of Trixie's hold and tapped the child on the nose. "Time to stop playing sleeping beauty, kid. Your mother wants some answers."  
  
Immediately, Trixie raised her head and grinned at the woman in front of her. "Good morning, Maze!" She turned to Lucifer. "Good morning, Lucifer!"  
  
He looked at her with his eyes narrowed in suspicion as she turned to Chloe. "Good morning, mom!"  
  
Before Chloe could reply to her daughter's greeting, Lucifer spoke: "So, little human. Would you care to tell us how you came to be here in my bed? I distinctly remember you being fast asleep in the guest bedroom."  
  
As soon as Lucifer asked this question, Trixie stopped grinning. She lowered her head and spoke so softly that Chloe had to strain to understand her.  
  
"I woke up and was thirsty, so I got up and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. And then I got scared, and I came here to you because you make me feel safe, and I know you will always protect me."  
  
Trixie was shyly looking up at Lucifer as she said the last words. He was staring at her in surprise, his astonishment at the idea that the child could feel safe with him plain on his face. He cleared his throat and looked Trixie in the eyes, for once completely serious. "Yes, child. I always will protect you. You have the devil's word on that."  
  
He glanced away then, clearly uncomfortable about the whole thing, and came face to face with Maze, who was grinning broadly at both of them.  
  
"And Maze will also always be there to protect you, won't you, Maze."  
  
She shot him an amused look but answered just as sincerely as he had. "Yes, I will. You have my word, too."  
  
Trixie grinned and pressed herself against Lucifer's side, to his obvious discomfort. She reached out and took hold of Maze's hand again, squeezing it as she replied, "Thank you, Maze, and you too, Lucifer."  
  
Then she tilted her head slightly and looked at the woman across from her. "Maze? Why are you here in bed with Lucifer?"  
  
"Because he asked me to stay."  
  
Trixie looked up at the man. "Does that mean you have forgiven her and you are friends again?"  
  
Chloe frowned. What had Maze done that Lucifer needed to forgive? And how did Trixie know about it?  
  
Lucifer did not answer at once. Instead, he was staring at Maze, an unreadable expression on his face. Maze for her part was looking up at him, and though Chloe could not really see the expression on her face, she could tell that the woman was extremely tense. Whatever was going on between them, it was really important for Maze.  
  
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Lucifer smiled softly and said: "Yes, I have forgiven her. And I hope that we can be friends again."  
  
At his words, the tension drained out of Mazikeen. Before she could react any further to Lucifer's declaration, Trixie interrupted them.  
  
"That is so great! Now we can all be friends together!" She pulled away from Lucifer's side and launched herself at her friends, doing her best to wrap both of them in a hug. Maze was laughing and returning the hug, while Lucifer was squirming, unsuccessfully trying to get away, a look of mild panic on his face.  
  
Maze seemed to notice, and somewhat to Chloe's surprise she quickly ended the hug and gently pushed Trixie away. "OK, enough of that, kid, save some of it for your mother. Now, why don't you go, get cleaned up and dressed, and then perhaps we can all get on with our plans for the day?"  
  
"OK." Trixie immediately scrambled off the bed and went to hug Chloe, causing Lucifer to heave a deep sigh of relief.  
  
Her daughter grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the doorway of Lucifer's bedroom, but then stopped there and looked back at the man on the bed. "Lucifer, can I go and take a bath, with lots of bubbles?"  
  
He looked at her in amusement. "What is it with you and bubble baths? Yes, of course you can. You know where everything is, don't you?"  
  
"Bubble baths are fun! And yes, Jenny showed me yesterday." And with that, Trixie dragged Chloe out of the room and down the corridor to the guest bathroom. Chloe was glad to get out of earshot of Lucifer and Maze. She had a lot of questions that she needed to ask her daughter. Starting with who the hell Jenny was, and what exactly she had done with Trixie yesterday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, since the story has decided to run away from me, there is going to be at least one more chapter, possibly two. Both Trixie and Chloe, and Maze and Lucifer, have some things to discuss.
> 
> (I felt like I had to raise the rating slightly, because Chloe has a dirty mind. (And Maze has a natural talent for making even the most innocuous piece of clothing look kinky.))


	3. Discussions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe and Trixie have a little talk while Trixie takes her bath. Lucifer and Maze also have a little discussion.

Chloe let Trixie drag her along to the guest bathroom, her mind still busy trying to sort out everything she had just heard and formulate all the questions she wanted to ask her daughter. 

The bathroom turned out to be quite large and decorated in the same modern, luxurious style as the rest of the penthouse. There were the usual toilet and twin washbasins on a counter, with a large mirror behind it. A glass walled shower took up one the corner, easily large enough to fit several people, and outfitted with all kinds of special jets and stuff. Along the walls were a linen closet full of fluffy towels, with some more on a warming rack next to the shower, as well as cabinets and shelves full of various bottles of shampoos, lotions, shower gels, and beauty products. And in pride of place in front of the floor length windows stood a huge, free-standing bathtub. Like the shower, it could easily accommodate two or even three adults.

As soon as they were in the room, Trixie dropped her mother's hand and made a beeline for the bathtub. Chloe watched in amusement as her daughter turned on the taps, carefully adjusted the water temperature to her liking, and then activated the stopper so the tub started to fill. The child then turned to a shelf on the wall nearby, selected one glass bottle which contained a pink liquid, removed the glass stopper and then took the bottle in both hands and carried it to the bathtub. There she carefully poured a good measure of the pink liquid into the rising water, and then returned the bottle to the shelf.

As soon as Trixie had poured the stuff into the water, foamy bubbles began to form, and the sweet scent of strawberries filled the air. This was not the clearly synthetic strawberry scent of the bubble bath Trixie had at home. No, this stuff smelled like real strawberries, perfectly ripe ones, freshly plucked and still warm from the sun. Trust Lucifer to provide only the best for his guests.

As they watched the bubbles mount while the bathtub filled with water, Chloe decided it was time she got some answers from her daughter.

"Trixie, who is Jenny?"

Her daughter was happy to answer the question. "She was the one who helped me with the bath yesterday. I asked Lucifer if I could take one, and he said yes, and then he called Jenny so she would help me. She is really nice. She works for him at the club." 

Relief coursed through Chloe at the thought that it hadn't been Lucifer himself who had helped Trixie with her bath. Immediately, she felt guilty and ashamed of her reaction. She knew that Lucifer had absolutely no interest in her daughter, that he would never even think an inappropriate thought about her. Hell, she had just seen how utterly uncomfortable any physical contact with the child made him. She had also witnessed him promising that he would always protect Trixie, even though he never tired of proclaiming loudly that he despised children. And still, despite all this, the thought of the man seeing her little daughter naked made her uncomfortable, while the thought of a woman who was a complete stranger to her doing the same did not. 

She knew it was irrational, that it was a clear example of her own prejudices. What made it worse was that Lucifer had either picked up on it, or he had simply assumed as a matter of course that she would not be comfortable with him seeing her daughter naked. And so, instead of a man she knew deep down would never hurt her child, some complete stranger had helped Trixie take her bath. Well, the only thing she could do now was find out more about that woman. 

"Do you know what she does there?" Chloe asked, wondering if this Jenny was one of the dancers.

"She is Sam's boss." 

Chloe's eyebrows rose at that. She knew Sam, he was the most senior of LUX's bouncers. So, it seemed that this Jenny was in charge of security at the club.

Her attention completely on the filling bathtub, Trixie continued, "She told me that she used to be a nurse at a hospital, but she didn't like the job, and wanted a change, and then Lucifer offered her a much better job. She likes working for him."

"Did the two of you talk a lot?" 

"Yes. She stayed with me while I was in the bath, and we talked. She told me that she has a daughter, too. Her name is Alexandra, but she is only three. And Jenny has a sister who is called Trixie, just like me, but her real name is Patricia."

By now, the bathtub was full enough for Trixie. Before Chloe could do anything, her daughter had turned off the taps and was taking off the t-shirt she had worn as a nightgown, and her underwear. She carefully put the clothing aside, even making an attempt to fold up the t-shirt. The sight made Chloe think of something she hadn't considered until now.

"Hey monkey, why were you wearing this t-shirt, and not the pajamas I had put in your bag?"

Trixie looked slightly guilty as she answered. "They got dirty. Lucifer let me have a glass of milk before he made me go to bed, and I spilled some all over myself. I thought he would be angry, but he wasn't. And he gave me one of his own t-shirts to sleep in. And it's a really nice t-shirt, too."

Her daughter looked right at her, with her head tilted slightly to one side in a way that reminded Chloe strongly of the club owner. "Mommy, do you think Lucifer would let me keep the t-shirt? I really like it."

A part of her wanted to say no. Knowing Lucifer's usual wardrobe, the t-shirt was probably some designer label and cost hundreds of dollars. Definitely not something that a seven year old should be using as a nightgown. On the other hand, Chloe had seen Lucifer give or throw away perfectly fine or at least salvageable pieces of clothing that had definitely cost much more that any t-shirt, just because he had felt like it, or considered them ruined somehow. And given how he felt about physical contact with children, it was entirely possible that he would no longer want this t-shirt, now that Trixie had worn it.

"I don't know, monkey. You will have to ask him yourself."

"OK." With that, Trixie held out her arms to her mother, and Chloe picked her up and carefully lowered her into the bathtub. Immediately, the child dove under the water, only to come back up almost at once, drenched from head to toe, a small mound of bubbles sitting on her head. She was giggling and laughing as she splashed around, her wet body twisting and turning in the tub. Chloe watched in amusement as her daughter played with the bubbles, gathering them in her hands and throwing them in the air, doing her best to heap them into towering mounds, only to let herself fall right into them, scattering them again and splashing water everywhere. She was thankful that the bathtub was so huge, as it managed to contain most of the mess.

Eventually, the child calmed down somewhat and just lay in the warm, scented water, idly moving around small clumps of bubbles. Chloe took the opportunity to ask her next question.

"Trixie, why did you ask Lucifer earlier if he had forgiven Maze?"

"Because I wanted to know if he had," her daughter answered with the disarming directness of a seven year old child. Chloe had to suppress a sigh. It served her right for asking her child an indirect question. She should have known that she had to be more direct to get the answers she wanted.

"Why would Lucifer need to forgive Maze?" 

"Because she did something bad, something that he was really angry about." 

Chloe frowned at that, wondering what Maze had done. "Do you know what she did?"

"She said that she told someone something that she shouldn't have. But I don't know what it was, and who she told it to. I asked her, but she wouldn't say." Trixie pouted slightly, clearly put out that her friend hadn't shared more.

"And she told you that Lucifer was angry with her about it?" 

"Yes, she said that when he found out, he was really, really angry at her, and wouldn't talk with her for a long time, even though she was really sorry about it."

Well, that actually explained some of the interactions she had witnessed between her partner and his bartender/bodyguard. But it seemed strange that Mazikeen would tell Trixie about it.

"And Maze just told you all that?" she enquired.

"Well yes, sort of," Trixie answered. Seeing her mother's confused and questioning look, she decided to explain. "Mommy, did you know that Maze has only lived here in L.A. for five years? I have lived here longer than she did! She told me when we were out shopping once, and I asked her why she came here, and she said that Lucifer wanted to come, and so she came with him. And I asked her if she and Lucifer were friends, and she became all sad and said that they weren't, not anymore. But they were friends when they came to L.A." 

Before her mother could interrupt to ask another question, Trixie continued. "I think they were more than friends. I think Lucifer was Maze's boyfriend, but she said he wasn't, that it was complicated. But I know she really, really likes him, and I think she wants him to be her boyfriend again." After a moment's pause, she added: "And I think that Lucifer really likes Maze, too, and now that he has forgiven her and they are friends again, maybe he will also want to be her boyfriend again."

Chloe was pretty sure that Trixie was right in assuming that Maze and Lucifer had been more than friends. She didn't know what exactly their relationship was - Maze had probably been simply honest instead of evasive when she told the child that it was complicated - but everything she had seen of the two of them together practically screamed lovers, or rather ex-lovers.

She also was pretty certain that her daughter was right about Maze's feelings for Lucifer. The way the woman had tensed up as Lucifer contemplated his answer to Trixie's forgiveness question, followed by the way she relaxed completely when he said that he had forgiven her, had made it crystal clear just how much this meant to her. Thinking back on that moment, Chloe couldn't help remembering the soft smile on the man's face as he gave his answer. She had never seen him look quite like that, and it made her suspect that Trixie's assessment of his feelings for Maze was right, too.

Not wanting to think too much about Lucifer's feelings for Maze, Chloe tried to distract herself by asking her daughter another question: "You really want them to be friends again, don't you?"

"Yes! If they are friends again, then we can all be friends together! And if Lucifer wants to be her boyfriend again, that will make Maze really happy, and Lucifer, too. And I want them to be happy." Trixie was bouncing up and down in the bathtub, excited at the thought of her friends being happy together.

So much for not thinking about Lucifer's feelings for Maze. The thought of the two of them together made Chloe acutely uncomfortable. She frowned as she tried to pinpoint the reason for this feeling, but before she could delve into it, Trixie interrupted her train of thought.

"Don't you want them to be happy, mommy?" she asked, confused and worried.

Chloe looked at her daughter in surprise. She had been so lost in thought that she hadn't realized that Trixie had noticed her reaction to the idea of Maze and Lucifer together. Before she could come up with a reply, something seemed to occur to Trixie, and she blurted out, "Do you want Lucifer to be your boyfriend?"

"What? No! No, monkey, I don't want Lucifer to be my boyfriend," Chloe denied the suggestion emphatically. 

Trixie frowned at her. "But you like him, don't you?" 

Chloe sighed. "Yes, I do, but that doesn't mean I want him to be my boyfriend." 

Deciding that she had better stop this discussion now, before it got any more awkward, she stepped over to the bathtub and told her daughter: "I think it is time for you to get out of the bath and finish washing up, and then you can get dressed and go ask Lucifer if you can keep that t-shirt."

"OK. I really hope he'll let me keep it!" Trixie grinned at the thought, successfully distracted. Chloe lost no time in draining the bathtub, helping her daughter rinse off the last traces of foamy bubbles, and then wrapped her in a warm, fluffy towel and lifted her out of the tub.

They quickly went about the rest of Trixie's usual morning routine in relative silence, and then Chloe followed her daughter to the guest bedroom to help her get dressed.

*****

As soon as Trixie and Chloe were out of the room, Maze turned to Lucifer and asked: "Did you really mean it?"

She didn't have to clarify any further, he knew exactly what she meant. 

"Yes, I did. I forgive you, Maze. And I would like us to be friends again. Well, actually, I want us to be more than friends. I want our relationship to get back to the way it used to be, with you by my side in every way." He held up his hand to keep her from interrupting him.

"Look, I know that there are a lot of things we really need to talk about and clear up between us. I need to tell you some stuff, explain some things to you. And I am sure you have some things that you want to tell me. But I want you to know that I do want to change things between us. I want you with me, back by my side." He stopped and looked at her, waiting to see how she would respond.

Maze was serious when she replied, "You are right. We do need to talk, but not right now. Not with your guests still here."

Lucifer had to agree. This was not the right time for their discussion.

Maze's tone was contemplative when she continued. "You know, I think I owe the little terror a favor."

He looked at her questioningly.

"For getting you to forgive me," Maze clarified.

Thinking about it for a moment, he had to admit that without the child's interference, he probably would have allowed things to continue as they were between Maze and him. 

"I think we both owe her one for that."

Recalling the way the little spawn had skillfully manipulated the situation, a thought struck him.  
"Speaking of the detective's offspring, how did you know she was only pretending to sleep? It was a pretty convincing performance to me."

"Oh, she did very well, keeping her face calm and relaxed, not reacting at all to the things she heard. And the way she controlled her breathing was admirable, especially for someone so young."

Maze grinned as she continued. "But her heartbeat was way too fast for someone supposedly asleep. She clearly doesn't know how to control that yet." She tilted her head slightly and gave a soft hum. "I think some lessons are in order."

Lucifer laughed at that. "Plotting to corrupt an innocent child, my darling Maze?"

"Just helping her develop her natural talents." Maze did her best to look innocent. Perhaps it might have worked on someone who had never met her before. Lucifer just grinned, and wondered briefly what other lessons his demon had been teaching the child. 

"So, do you know how long she had been awake?" He was curious to know just how much the spawn had overheard.

"She woke up just as you were assuring the good detective that nothing untoward had happened between you and her daughter."

Lucifer's eyes narrowed at that revelation. "So she overheard you explaining your presence to her mother, and knew exactly why you were here. The manipulative little minx! She played us!"

He didn't know if he should be outraged, amused, or impressed.

"She has quite good instincts for manipulation," Maze agreed. "You do realize that she played the same sleeping beauty trick last night, don't you?"

"What?" Lucifer exclaimed in surprise. This was news to him.

Maze shrugged. "She woke up pretty much the moment you started yelling for me to help you."

"She was awake the whole time? And you knew, and didn't say anything?" The outrage was plain in his voice now.

"It wouldn't have changed anything. If I had given away the fact that she was awake, you would have refused to let her stay here with you."

"Damn right I would have!"

"And then she would have whined and pleaded and cried and thrown a temper tantrum, and none of us would have gotten any sleep. And I really wasn't in the mood for that." 

Lucifer knew she was right. If he had had any doubt about it, the way detective Decker had winced earlier when Maze mentioned that he had wanted to wake her daughter up had told him that it would indeed have been just as bad as Maze claimed. That didn't mean he had to like it.

"Alright, I suppose you do have a point there. Still..."

Maze just rolled her eyes. "You are just pissed off that a seven year old human child managed to play you. Twice. Really, if she had pulled the same trick on anybody else, you would be congratulating her on a job well done."

Lucifer just growled at that. He really wanted to deny the accusation, but unfortunately, he had to concede that there was some truth in it. If the little one had played the same trick on, say, detective Douche, he would certainly have congratulated her. Deciding that he needed something to distract him, he got up and slipped on his dressing gown.

"Well, I don't know about you, Maze, but I could do with some coffee. Maybe breakfast, too. What do you say?" He looked back at where she was still lounging on the bed.

"How about pancakes?" Maze suggested. At his enquiring look, she smiled and shrugged. "We do owe the little terror a favor, and she loves pancakes. Especially if there is some chocolate syrup to go with them, and I know for a fact that you always keep some excellent chocolate syrup at hand."

Lucifer's eyes darkened as he remembered several occasions when he and Maze had had fun with that chocolate syrup. He hastily pushed those memories away when he felt his body start to react. His voice was slightly rough as he answered. 

"Pancakes it is, then. I expect you want some bacon and maple syrup to go with your share?" 

Maze smiled at that. "That would be delicious."

"Care to assist me in the kitchen, then?" He held his hand out to her in invitation. She took it and allowed him to pull her up off the bed and lead the way to the kitchen. They had work to do and a favor to repay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be one more chapter, as the four of them have breakfast together.


	4. Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The four have breakfast together. Chloe gets a few more answers, Lucifer learns some things about his favorite demon, and Maze is being devious.

When Chloe and Trixie emerged from the guest bedroom, they were greeted by the delicious scents of breakfast being prepared. Chloe immediately recognized the aroma of excellent coffee, as well as the scent of frying bacon. Beneath those two there was another, sweeter scent, less familiar to her. Trixie recognized it first.   
  
"Pancakes!"  
  
Right on cue, Lucifer poked his head out of the open doorway of the kitchen. "Ah, there you are. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes."   
  
Chloe followed her daughter to the kitchen, carrying the child's backpack while Trixie herself carried the folded black t-shirt. They both stopped in the open doorway and took in the scene before them.  
  
Lucifer was standing at the stove, busily making more pancakes to add to the already impressive heap on a plate next to him. Beside that was a second plate, loaded with perfectly crispy strips of fried bacon. On the other side of the kitchen, Maze was just pouring the last batch of freshly pressed orange juice into a large glass jug.   
  
She was still dressed in just the black t-shirt and her panties. Lucifer was wearing his dressing gown, and on top of that he had put on an apron. The whole outfit should have looked ridiculous, but somehow he managed to make it look good.  
  
Trixie was the first to break the silence. "Lucifer, can I keep the t-shirt you gave me to sleep in? Please? I really, really like it!"  
  
He turned to her and smiled. "Well, if you really like it, then I see no reason why you shouldn't keep it."   
  
"Thank you, Lucifer!" And with that, Trixie threw herself at him and hugged him, making Lucifer grimace.  
  
"You know, child, if you really want to thank me, why don't you go with Maze and help her set the table?" He shot a glare at the woman, who had finished her work and was now leaning against the counter, watching the scene before her with a broad grin on her face.   
  
"OK!" With that, Trixie detached herself from Lucifer and practically bounced over to Maze, grabbing her hand and dragging her out of the kitchen. As she passed her mother in the doorway, she thrust the t-shirt at her with a curt "Here, mommy."  
  
Amused, Chloe took it and quickly packed it away, before returning her attention to the man in the kitchen.  
  
"Thank you for that, Lucifer."  
  
"It's nothing, detective. I have more than enough t-shirts, and besides, I doubt that I would ever wear that one again, now that your offspring has slept in it."  
  
Chloe just smiled as he reacted just as she had half expected he would.  
  
"I also want to thank you again for letting Trixie stay here overnight. You did a good job, looking after her."   
  
"You're welcome, detective. I guess that, all in all, it went pretty well. Though I could certainly have done without that rather unpleasant nighttime surprise of finding her attached to my side."  
  
Chloe suppressed a grin at the rather overdone shudder he gave as he remembered what must have been a pretty memorable moment in the night.  
  
"I probably should have warned you about that, but it hasn't happened much lately. She does sometimes wake up in the night, and when she is scared, she likes to climb into bed with someone she feels will protect her. I honestly didn't think she would do it with you. She has only done it with me or her dad so far."   
  
"Yes, well, you heard your offspring. For some completely incomprehensible reason, it appears that she feels safe with the devil." He sounded somewhat insulted at that idea.  
  
Chloe was tempted to point out that, since said devil had formally promised to protect her, Trixie's reasoning appeared to be quite sound. But Lucifer continued before she could say anything.  
  
"Still, the night is over and we all survived. Best not to think about it any longer."  
  
With that, he turned back to the stove and checked on his current batch of pancakes. Finding them ready, he flipped them onto the heap and poured the next quantities of dough into the two frying pans he was using.  
  
Watching him work in silence, Chloe wondered how to address the next topic she wanted, or rather needed, to talk about with him. Before she could come up with something, he turned back to her, and immediately noticed that something was on her mind.  
  
"Anything more you want to discuss with me, detective?" he asked in a light, slightly flirtatious tone.  
  
Deciding that directness was the best course of action, Chloe answered, "Yes. Trixie told me that, when she wanted to take a bath yesterday, you called up one of your employees, Jenny, to help her with it. I just wanted to tell you that you really didn't have to do that. It would have been perfectly alright if you had helped Trixie yourself. I know I can trust you with her."  
  
Lucifer replied immediately, with an almost pained expression on his face. "Detective. As much as I appreciate the fact that you trust me with your spawn, if I ever find myself in this position again, I will do exactly what I did last night. The reason for that is simply that as far as I am concerned, the thought of assisting any child, even yours, in taking a bath is right up there with the worst tortures hell ever invented. There is no way I am ever going to subject myself to that kind of ordeal if I have any other options available."   
  
Once again, he shuddered theatrically.  
  
"Besides, with your offspring's regrettable tendency to clinginess, the consequences of getting anywhere near her while she is drenched in suds are not something I'd like to contemplate. Do you have any idea what catastrophic effects bath water would have on my suits?" He looked positively horrified at the mere thought of it.  
  
"And anyway, Jenny is infinitely more qualified for dealing with human spawn than I am."  
  
Chloe frowned at that. "Trixie mentioned that she used to be a hospital nurse."  
  
"Yes, a pediatric nurse specialized in intensive care, at the Children's Hospital here in L.A.", Lucifer explained. "An excellent nurse, from all I've heard. Well-liked by both patients and colleagues."  
  
"Why did she leave the job, then?"   
  
"I asked her that when she told me she was looking for a different job, actually. She said that the bad things she saw in her job were getting to her. The suffering and death. Since she had great organizational and people skills, knew something about technology, and happened to have a brown belt in karate, I offered her the job of chief of security at LUX. And I am very happy that she accepted. She does excellent work." He was looking quite pleased at that.  
  
"How did you even meet her? She doesn't sound like the usual guest at LUX." Chloe was curious.   
  
"Oh, I met her through my accountant." Lucifer answered easily.  
  
"Your accountant, Catherine?" She had met Lucifer's accountant once, when she came by to pick him up on the way to a crime scene, only to find him deep in conversation with a tall, strikingly attractive blonde. Lucifer had introduced her as his accountant, Catherine Johansson. When Chloe had later mentioned the name to an acquaintance of her at financial investigations, she had learned that the woman was apparently extremely good at her job, and very well respected.   
  
"Yes, Catherine. She and Jenny are partners. Well, they are married now, did it pretty much the moment it became legal. But they have been together for more than nine years."   
  
Seeing Chloe's surprised look, Lucifer added with a grin, "And no, I have never slept with either of them." He paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. "Maze might have, though."  
  
"Might have what?" The woman in question chose that precise moment to return to the kitchen, without Trixie.  
  
"Might have had sex with Jenny, or Catherine, or both." Lucifer replied.  
  
Maze grinned. "I don't kiss and tell."  
  
He shot her a look. "I take that as a yes."   
  
Before they could continue, Trixie appeared in the doorway.   
  
"I'm done with setting out the plates and stuff, Maze."  
  
"Excellent, then you can start carrying out some of the things we'll need." With that, Maze produced a small basket from somewhere and started putting several bottles and jars into it. When she was done, she handed it to the child.  
  
"What's all this?" Trixie asked.  
  
Maze crouched down and pointed to the various items. "Chocolate syrup. Maple syrup. Caramel sauce. Amaretto - not for you, it's alcohol."   
  
Trixie wrinkled her nose at that. Maze ignored her reaction and continued. "Chocolate flakes. Sprinkles. Chopped pecans. Strawberry preserve. And finally, apple compote."   
  
The last item once again drew a negative reaction from the child. "Who eats that with pancakes?"   
  
This time, Maze grinned. "Lucifer. He likes it."   
  
This made Trixie give the man a look that said more clearly than words that she was seriously questioning his taste, and possibly his sanity. Chloe had to bite back a chuckle at that.  
  
After a moment, Trixie turned back to the woman before her. "Maze? Could I get some hot chocolate to go with my pancakes?"  
  
Maze looked at her, her eyes narrowed slightly. "You mean you want me to make you some hot chocolate."  
  
Chloe watched as her daughter nodded enthusiastically and turned on the puppy dog eyes. "Please?"  
  
"I don't know if Lucifer has all the ingredients I'll need."  
  
"Can you check? And if he has them, will you make me some? Please?"   
  
With a sigh, Maze straightened up and started opening cupboards. "OK. Now get to work putting that stuff on the table."  
  
"Thank you, Maze. You're the best!" With that, Trixie grabbed the basket securely in both hands and left the kitchen.  
  
Chloe was not the only one who watched in surprise as Maze quickly pulled milk from the fridge and various other items and ingredients out of the kitchen cupboards, and set to work.  
  
"Since when do you know how to make hot chocolate?" Lucifer inquired. "I thought you didn't even like the stuff!"  
  
"I didn't, until someone showed me how delicious it could be when prepared the right way."   
  
"And who exactly showed you that?" There was something like suspicion in Lucifer's tone. Maze clearly noticed, because she smirked as she answered.  
  
"Just some guy I met a few months ago. We spent a very pleasurable night together, and the next morning he served me breakfast in bed. Including some absolutely sinfully delicious hot chocolate."  
  
Lucifer was looking decidedly unhappy now. Once again Chloe got the impression that her daughter's suspicions about his feelings for Maze were correct.  
  
Maze was grinning when she continued. "I asked him where he got it, and he told me that it was his own recipe. And then he offered to teach me how to make it myself, so I could always have some whenever I wanted it."  
  
With that, Maze moved right into Lucifer's personal space, standing next to him at the stove and nudging him aside slightly as she placed a saucepan full of milk there to heat it. She also heated up some water in the electric kettle, poured it into a small pot, and then placed a bowl on top of it so that its bottom was immersed in the water. Into this bowl, she crumbled several bars of high quality dark chocolate, melting them carefully.   
  
Both Chloe and Lucifer watched as she added several spoonfuls of the hot milk to the melted chocolate, mixing it in, and then poured the thick chocolate liquid into the milk. Once it was stirred in thoroughly, she added a few pinches of two different spices. Tasting a spoonful of the liquid, Maze hummed in approval and was about to remove the saucepan from the stove when Lucifer stopped her.   
  
"Can I get a taste, too?"  
  
Raising an eyebrow at him, Maze complied, dipping the spoon back into the saucepan and then offering it up to him. He held her gaze as he took it into his mouth, then closed his eyes and let out a moan that was positively pornographic.  
  
"Hell's fires, Maze, that is delicious. Please tell me you will make more of this wonderful stuff in the future." The woman in question just chuckled.  
  
"Maze's hot chocolate is the best, isn't it, Lucifer?" With that Trixie was once again among them.   
  
Lucifer smiled down at the child. "Yes, it is."   
  
He turned back to the stove and put the last of the pancakes onto the waiting plate, while Maze poured the hot chocolate into a pot and then placed it onto a tray, together with the jug of orange juice, coffee pot, milk jug, and sugar bowl.   
   
Seeing that she had completed her preparations, Lucifer took off his apron and announced, "Alright, everything is ready. Let's go and have breakfast."   
  
With a happy squeal, Trixie grabbed her mother's hand and pulled her out of the kitchen. Maze followed, carrying the tray with the beverages, and Lucifer brought up the rear with the plates full of bacon and pancakes.  
  
To Chloe's surprise, Trixie led her past the dining room and on to the living room. There, the sliding glass doors leading to the balcony were wide open, and she could see a large round table, clearly set up for their breakfast. She had to admit that this was a good decision. The morning was glorious, warm and clear, just the lightest of breezes stirring the air. Perfect for breakfast outside.  
  
After placing the food on the table, Lucifer quickly helped Maze distribute the beverages, and then they all sat down to enjoy the feast before them. Chloe had to admit that the pancakes were absolutely delicious, and the whole breakfast was really nice.   
  
The adults remained mostly silent as they ate, but Trixie managed to keep up a constant chatter, telling her mom about her afternoon with Lucifer the day before. Apparently, they had made some pictures together, and then had pizza for dinner. Afterwards, they had watched some movies, including one cheesy 80s sci-fi movie featuring Penelope Decker. Trixie had found it absolutely hilarious.  
  
Just as she was recounting a scene she had found particularly funny, Trixie suddenly stopped. When Chloe looked up from her own plate, she found her daughter staring at Maze. She was watching with a mixture of fascination and revulsion as the woman was dragging a crispy strip of bacon through the puddles of chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, and maple syrup on her plate, liberally coating it in the mixture, and then popping it into her mouth and eating it with evident pleasure.  
  
Noticing the sudden silence, Maze looked around and found Trixie staring at her. Seeing the look on the child's face, she raised an eyebrow. "What? It's good, you should try it!"  
  
She laughed at the deeply skeptical look that got her. Picking up another strip of bacon, she carefully dipped only the very tip of it into the sweet mixture on her plate, and then held it out to Trixie. "Here, try it."  
  
Reluctantly, and with deep suspicion, Trixie leant forward and carefully bit off the smallest possible piece. As soon as she actually tasted it, her eyes widened and an enthusiastic grin spread across her face. "Oh! It's really good!"  
  
With a chuckle, Maze quickly coated the rest of the piece of bacon and handed it to Trixie, who took it eagerly. While she was chewing, she grabbed the bottles of caramel sauce and maple syrup and added some of each to the chocolate sauce already on her plate, before getting her own piece of bacon and making herself more of the new delicacy.  
  
Both Chloe and Lucifer had watched the whole exchange in amusement. Chloe was somewhat worried that Trixie would insist on her trying that strange concoction next. Lucifer, on the other hand, appeared to actually be interested in doing so. He was gazing intently at Maze as she prepared the next strip of bacon. Before he could say anything to her, she was already holding it out to him, offering him a taste.  
  
With a smirk, Lucifer took hold of her wrist and brought the hand holding the bacon closer to him. He closed his mouth around the treat, his lips briefly touching Maze's fingertips as he pulled it from her grasp.  
  
Once again, the moan he gave as the taste hit him was definitely pornographic. "Absolutely delicious."  
  
The way he was looking at Maze as he said it made it clear that he was not referring only to the bacon.  
  
A sharp poke to her arm pulled Chloe's attention away from the pair and to her daughter. "Here, mommy, you have to try it, too." The child was holding out a piece of bacon dripping with sticky sweetness to her.   
  
"No, thank you, monkey. I really don't think I'd like it."   
  
Trixie looked disappointed for a moment, but then just shrugged.   
  
"OK. More for me, then." And with that, she popped the piece into her own mouth, making the three adults around the table laugh.  
  
Between the three of them, Trixie, Maze, and Lucifer quickly finished off the remaining bacon. Then all four leaned back in their chairs, feeling pleasantly full. The adults finished their cups of coffee, while Trixie drank the last of her hot chocolate. By the time everyone was finished, the child was fidgeting in her seat, clearly anxious to get going.  
  
They got up together and went back into the living room. Trixie skipped ahead and pressed the button for the elevator, then waited impatiently in the open door while her mother said her goodbyes.  
  
"Thank you, both of you, for the wonderful breakfast. And Lucifer, thank you once again for looking after Trixie."  
  
"You're welcome, detective. Have a nice Sunday." He smiled at her.  
  
"Thanks. I'll call you when we get our next case." With that, she got into the elevator with her daughter.  
  
"Bye, Lucifer! Bye, Maze! See you on Tuesday!" Trixie called out her goodbyes as she pressed the button for the ground floor.  
  
"Goodbye, little terror. See you then!" Maze replied as the elevator door slid closed and she and Lucifer were left alone in the penthouse.  
  
He immediately turned to her and gave her an enquiring look. "'See you on Tuesday'?"  
  
"I'm picking her up from school and looking after her on Tuesday afternoon." Maze explained.  
  
"Voluntarily?" Lucifer's eyebrows were raised in surprise.  
  
Maze just rolled her eyes. "Yes. We are friends, and I like spending time with the little terror. And yes, I am aware of just how weird that is", she added as she saw his disbelief.  
  
"Well, better you than me, Maze. I'm still exhausted from yesterday. I never would have thought that looking after human spawn would be that stressful. I really don't know where that kid gets her energy. I mean, just look at the way she was practically bouncing all over the place just now."  
  
Maze chuckled at that. "Large amounts of sugar will do that to little humans." The smirk on her face could only be described as devious.  
  
Lucifer stared at her, a look of respect and appreciation dawning on his face as he put things together. "Pancakes. Syrups and caramel sauce. Chocolate flakes and sprinkles. Hot chocolate. You did that on purpose!"  
  
"Oh yeah." Maze was grinning broadly now.  
  
"You deliberately fed the detective's spawn large amounts of sugar." There was awe in Lucifer's voice.  
  
"Yep. And now she is on her merry, sugar-high way home with her mommy, just as the effects are starting to hit. By the time they arrive home, the kid will be practically bouncing off the walls with hyperactivity."   
  
Lucifer laughed out loud at that mental image, making Maze's grin soften into a happy smile as she looked at him. "I thought you would like that."  
  
He looked at her in surprise. "You mean you did that for me?"  
  
She ducked her head slightly, seeming almost embarrassed. "I mostly did it just for fun. And after all, we did owe the kid a favor, and she really loves her chocolatey, sugary treats."   
  
She glanced up at him through her lashes. When she saw that he was looking at her with his eyebrows raised, she gave a sigh and continued. "But I have to admit that I did think the detective deserved a teeny, tiny little bit of punishment for foisting her kid on you."  
  
"In fairness, it was my decision to accept. I could have refused."   
  
"Of course. And I'm sure the detective just asked casually if you wouldn't mind looking after her spawn, instead of going all 'Lucifer, please, you're my only hope!'" Maze was fluttering her eyelashes outrageously while giving him her best puppy dog stare as she said the last part.  
  
He chuckled at her antics. "She didn't go quite that far. But she did mention that the alternative was getting some stranger from one of those babysitting agencies to look after the child."   
  
Maze's lips twitched at that admission, but she refrained from making any comments. Lucifer appreciated the unusual display of restraint.  
  
"Well, I suppose she does deserve a little bit of punishment. And I must say that I like your creative way of delivering it. So how long will the effects last?"  
  
"Oh, several hours at least. Probably until mid-afternoon." Maze was grinning again. "By the way, Trixie mentioned that her dad was having lunch with them today."  
  
Once again, Lucifer stared at his demon in surprise. "So detective Douche will have to deal with the hyperactive spawn, too? Oh Maze, you deliciously devious darling, you just made my day! However shall I thank you?"  
  
With that, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. When they finally broke apart, he bent his head and proceeded to place soft kisses on her neck, interspersed with little licks and light nips with his teeth. Maze moaned in pleasure and tilted her head, baring her throat to give him better access. "Keep doing that."  
  
He laughed softly. "Oh, I think I can do better than that. Why don't we take this somewhere more comfortable, so I can express my thanks properly?"   
  
With one swift movement, he picked her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom, his mind already busily planning all the pleasurable ways in which he could show her just how much he appreciated her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a little epilogue to this story. Maze wasn't done having fun just yet.


	5. Epilogue: Photographic Evidence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maze has a little surprise for Lucifer.

Lucifer was in excellent spirits when he left his bathroom and stepped into his dressing room to choose his outfit for the evening. And, after all, why shouldn't he be? Everything was going very well for him right now. He and detective Decker had just successfully cleared up their latest murder case, a juicy little crime involving art forgeries and thefts. In the course of their investigation, he had made the acquaintance of a charming expert on renaissance paintings who now owed him a favor, and he had also managed to snatch up for his personal collection a beautiful little sculpture he had had his eyes on for quite a while. And while the good detective had been rather annoyed about both those things, her complaints and protestations had been markedly less severe than the last few times he had done similar things while working a case with her. She seemed to be getting used to his ways, which was excellent news, as far as he was concerned.  
  
His relationship with Maze was also back on track. Better than ever, in fact, now that they had finally managed to talk about their issues. Granted, it had taken him whisking her away to a cozy little lakeside cabin miles away from everywhere in the mountains of Colorado to achieve this. After all their attempts to have their talk here in L.A. had been interrupted before either of them had managed to utter more than a few words, he had begun to suspect divine interference and decided to take drastic measures. Hence the little weekend get-away in Colorado.   
  
It had been well worth the favors he had had to call in to achieve this. They had talked, and it had been intense, and at times painful, but now, for the first time since coming to the mortal plane, Lucifer felt that he and his demon really, truly understood each other. As a consequence, they were once again a true team, partners in every way, and he was almost deliriously happy about that. He was planning to take her out to dinner this evening, to celebrate their newfound closeness.  
  
After quickly choosing and putting on one of his favorite suits, he stepped through into his bedroom, fastening his shirt cuffs while he went. Something unusual registered out of the corner of his eyes, and he turned to discover an unfamiliar silver picture frame standing on the nightstand. Wondering if perhaps one of last night's guests had left behind a little memento - it wouldn't be the first time that happened - he picked up the frame and took a closer look at the picture inside.  
  
He froze as he realized what he was looking at. It was a photograph of him, on this very bed, fast asleep with detective Decker's little spawn curled up against his side.  
  
"Mazikeen!"  
  
A laugh behind him made him whirl around.  
  
"You bellowed, my lord?" His demon was leaning in the doorway, a smirk on her face. She looked stunning in a blood red, strapless, figure-hugging dress with a slit on the side that reached almost to her hip, showing off her shapely leg.   
  
She pushed herself off the wall and approached him. "Ah, I see you found my little present."    
  
He glared at her. "Why would you think I would want something like that?"  
  
"Oh, I thought you might like having photographic evidence that there is in fact at least one human in this world who feels perfectly safe with the devil." She was grinning broadly now. "But I admit that this picture is rather sickeningly sweet. Perhaps you'd prefer the other one?"  
  
Following her glance, Lucifer discovered a matching picture frame on the second nightstand on the other side of the bed. Dreading to see what fresh horrors it contained, he went over and picked it up.  
  
He found himself staring at a picture of himself, the spawn, and Maze, together on the bed. And while the other picture had indeed been sickeningly sweet, this one had a certain something. He studied it more closely, taking in the details. The two female figures framing him, looking very much alike, and yet having completely opposite effects. The child's pure innocence a striking contrast to Maze, who looked sinfully sexy even in this simple outfit and while fast asleep. And he himself in the middle, caught between them.  
  
His gaze travelled up to his own face in the photo, only to discover that the image showed him awake, with a smirk on his lips and devilish amusement twinkling in his eyes as he looked at something or someone slightly off to the right and below the point of view of the camera.  
  
He wondered briefly how the picture had been taken, before remembering the security system. Maze must have activated it in the night.   
  
Once again, he returned his attention to the picture in his hand. It really was a striking image, the three of them there on the bed like that. The longer he looked at it, the more he found himself liking what he saw. Yes, this one he wouldn't mind keeping.   
  
Looking up, he found Maze watching him, the small, gentle smile that only he ever got to see playing on her lips. "You do like that one, don't you."  
  
"Yes, I do. The other one is simply sickening and needs to be destroyed, but this one has something."   
  
Her smile brightened at his admission, shining with happiness. It warmed something deep inside him.  
  
"I will definitely keep this one. Not out here, though, where anybody can see it. This one goes into my private collection. Thank you, Maze, for giving it to me."   
  
With that, he carefully put the picture down on the bed, stepped up to her, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her.  
  
Maze returned the kiss enthusiastically, happy that she had been right in thinking that he would like this particular picture. Perhaps she wouldn't send a copy of it to detective Decker, after all. Or at least not without asking Lucifer for permission first. Who knew, he might actually let her do it.  
  
When the kiss ended, Lucifer took her hand and led her out of the bedroom. "Now, let's go to dinner, and then we can decide what to do with the rest of the evening. I already have a few ideas."   
  
Maze laughed at the leer in his tone as he said this.   
  
"Oh, and Maze, remind me to destroy that first photo when we get back. I don't want anybody else to see it."  
  
She just gave a noncommittal hum in reply. Best not to tell him that she had already given the little terror a copy of that picture, then. He would probably find out eventually, but there was no need to spoil his mood just yet.  
  
Smiling in anticipation of the pleasures the evening would bring, the devil and his demon left the penthouse and went out into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You didn't think I had forgotten about those photos, did you? :-)


End file.
